


The Truth Within Myself

by glas_glas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hinata Shouyou & Tsukishima Kei Friendship, How Do I Tag, M/M, Other, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tsukishima being insecure, Why isnt there a tag for that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 02:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16232186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glas_glas/pseuds/glas_glas
Summary: Kei likes to think he's prepared for what comes to him. Yet he finds himself in this situation completely lost. And for once in his life, he truly blames himself.





	The Truth Within Myself

* * *

 

      "Kei!"

That's the tenth time, no exaggeration, Tsukishima Kei has heard his name. His mom and his brother have been going back and forth with 'Do you have this?' 'Do you have that?' 'Make sure you have this!'. Annnnd so on.

Kei got his acceptance letter from the university he applied to. Its taken a while (two years actually), but the blonde finally, after multiple tries, got into his "ideal" school. He had been attending a local college for a year after graduation from Kurasuno, and he's been trying to apply since the beginning of his third year. Unlike a few of his highschool teammates, he decided to go a different route from volleyball, and try to study and major in Japanese and English Literature.

"Kei-"

"That makes eleven, and yes I do have the campus map Akiteru," giving his brother the usual piercing glare Kei sighed surprised he hasn't caught a headache.

"Just making sure. My baby brother is moving away, I want him to be safe and prepared!", the older Tsukishima hugs his brother tightly to the point Kei's glasses were shifted from their spot.

Squirming out of his brother's hold, Kei moves his glasses back into place. Another sigh seems to escape his mouth as a tiny smile creeps onto his face.

"Brother, I have everything I need and If I missed something I'll pack it tomorrow. I leave in the afternoon remember?"

"I know I know", Akiteru rubs the back of his head finally coming to an understandment that he might be overreacting.

"I'm just going to miss you that's all", Kei looks at his brother, his smile seeming to grow bigger.

After another crushing hug from Akiteru, Kei walks up to his room. The university isn't actually to far from home, just an hour train ride(just). However Kei insisted that he'd stay at the dormitorys, to have more access to all he needs to study.

In all honesty to Kei its not like he wouldn't miss his family and home, on the contrary actually. Its kind of logical for someone to miss home, a place where they've grown up. However Kei fills his mind with the easing fact that he only lives an hour away and that he'd be ok. In another part of his mind he's happy he's leaving home. It was like life had given him a second chance to start all over.

Kei has gone through a tough time when he was younger, and in some ways recently he still is. This was his chance to get away from what kept him back for so long. A chance to break the chains that held him down.

At least, _he hopes it is._

For now, a nap sounds just as delicious as a piece of strawberry cake. Unfortunately he needs to check a few more things before he leaves. So with a groan of exhaustion and a bit of annoyance, he stands up from the comfort of his bed and heads for his door. He hears his phone vibrate on his desk but decides to ignore. Whoever's calling him right now can wait just a few minutes, hopefully.

Making his way back down the stairs he slides his fingers down the rails feeling the hard, smooth wood. He takes a swift turn past the living room where Akiteru has his eyes glued to the TV. Kei is glad that his brother didn't notice him, he didn't want to go through another hug session.

Opening the sliding door to the backyard he steps out into the open. Its still the after noon but somehow Kei knew that tonight would be a bit colder than usual. Feeling a rub against his feet the blonde smiles crouching down, knees touching the wood of the patio.

Dino (pronounced Deeno), was a gray Norwegian forest cat Kei had got for his twelfth birthday. Despite getting her as a kitten she grew fast and amazingly fury. If he remembered correctly Kei's mother got him the cat because she saw her precious son going through photos on Google.

"Looking beautiful as ever Dino", lifting up his hand ever so slightly, the gray coated cat hunches down to put her head on the base of Kei's palm.

She was soft, very soft. Kei could pet her all day if he could, but of course that'd be impossible. Especially at a moment like this. Kei is moving out, and he has a very good gut feeling that the dormitories will not allow pets.

"What a pity I can't take you", he moved his legs outwards, now hanging off the patio. Dino made herself comfortable going in circles before setting into Kei's lap.

While petting the luscious fur he looks around his backyard. Despite wanting to, memories crash in like a flood. Kei and Akiteru have already worked out things and come into a closure, or so Kei thinks. Some things still hurt him, he keeps thinking that's what's holding him back.

He gives a slight push on Dino's lower back, and she knew that meant for her to move. So as she jumps off the blonde's lap she begins walking with Kei back inside the house. He begins packing a small bag of goodies for tomorrow. He's going to be stuck in a train for an hour, a small snack wouldn't hurt.

After that he goes to the living room to go see if there was any school materials he needed. After thoroughly searching and organizing he walks back upstairs. Half way up Akiteru tells him dinner is going to done soon, so Kei calls back down telling him ok.

Kei finally made it up to his room, and he noticed Dino disappeared somewhere. He closes door, leaving it slightly open, then finally looks at his phone to see thousands of messages and missed calls. Ok, maybe just a few.

_**4 Missed call from Churoo** _

_**7 Messages from Churoo** _

_**1 missed call from Suga(mom#2)** _

_**2 Messages from Suga(mom#2)** _

The blonde gives out a heavy sigh suddenly regreting not picking up his phone. Poor Suga, making him wait (Kuroo can wait). He swipes his phone enjoying his wallpaper of Dino. He taps the message icon and clicks on Suga's messages.

_**"Hey I heard you got accepted! (Your mom told me)."** _

_**"Good luck man, it could be tough so watch yourself. I send the best of wishes. (Tell your mom I said hi)."** _

Oh Suga, the only one on the team, besides Yamaguchi, whose actually met the oldest Tsukishima. They never got as close, but Kei knew that if he needed anything he'd either go to Yamaguchi or Suga. Despite agreeing and tolerating the antics of the group, he could agree with the fact that even he felt like Suga was the mom of the team.

Sigh. Now on to Kuroo. Kei decided to leave Suga be for the moment, not wanting to distract him from anything he was doing. Not bothering, and honestly too lazy, to text the black cat Kei calls him instead, already regretting his choice the moment the phone rings.

One, two, annnnd-

_"KEI I HEARD YOU GOT ACCEPTED! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER ME, HOW RUDE!"_

Ah yes, he completely regrets it now. When Kuroo stopped shouting Kei brings the phone back to his ear where he retracted it from when the loud voice came through.

"Kuroo-san shut up, you're too loud", Kei smirks the moment he hears a small huff on the other line.

 _"I told you to drop the formalities Kei, and sorry",_ Kei didn't really expect it to happen but it just did.

After the training camp as a first year Kei felt like Kuroo wouldn't let him die in peace. It turned out to be like that the moment he got a text from an unknown number and it ended up being the mischievous cat. Although Kei wouldn't admit it, he was kind of glad he had at least Kuroo to talk to once in a while.

"Well to answer your question, Tetsurou, yes I did get accepted and I just didn't feel like it."

_"So mean Kei. I thought we were friends."_

"We are?"

_"Assh-"_

"I'm messing with you."

From there on they continued talking on the phone. Kei told Kuroo all about the acceptance letter and all the packing he had to do. Before Kuroo could get another chance to speak the blonde asked how he found out about him. He said that he heard it from Daichi, which he heard from Suga.

The cat questioned why Kei hadn't just stay home. The blonde told him he wanted to leave the house. He wasn't lying, but he's pretty sure Kuroo would see it as the blonde trying to be independent and wanting to live his life as his own. (Which isn't much of a lie either). Kei wants to do this on his own, he wants to change on his own. 

_"What are you planning to study?"_

"Japanese and English Literature. Oh and maybe even go a little into art", Kei was always good in literature and eventually latched onto it. He was actually pretty good with his English thanks to extra classes, and he grew fond of the western stories.

_"Kei...you sound like a fancy rich kid."_

"Shut it Tetsurou."

Kuroo laughs making Kei frown with a small pout. He puts his phone on speaker and places it on his desk. From there they continued conversing, with Kuroo talking about girls digging his hair, and Kei honestly just ignoring that part of the story while he packs his stuff and raises his voice just a bit to insult the black cat.

One minute Kuroo was talking about his delight of hitting on the girls and how awesome Kenma's eyes have been, to his recent injury. Apparently they had won a match due to the other teams misbehavior causing them to be disqualified, but of course, they couldn't just accept it.

So when they announced the disqualification, their captain picked a fight with Kuroo. Kuroo saw it coming, but he never did anything, he let the other team punch first. Eventually a whole brawl burst and Kuroo came out with a fractured ankle.

He says its nothing to bad, but the doctor insists that he take a break from playing for a while. So the team hasn't participated in a few games, which of course makes Kuroo desperate. He's not going to lose to Bokuto.

_"Playing volleyball is the best medicine."_

"No Tetsurou, getting regular check ups and not putting unnecessary weight on your ankle is the best medicine."

_"I thought you were going to be a teacher, not a doctor."_

Kei scoffs, already feeling Kuroo's smirk,"First of all I'm not going to be a teacher. Second, its just common sense, something you don't seem to have."

_"Haha...I hate you."_

"Hate you too. Well I have to go, Akiteru is already calling me down for dinner." That's twelve times they say his name.

_"I miss your mom's cooking!"_

"You only tried it once!"

_"Indeed, and it was the best moment of my life."_

Kei didn't need to see his face, but he could imagine a tear running down Kuroo's face and him praying to the gods. The blonde smiled slightly shaking his head.

_"Hey, can I ask you something?"_

"You already are."

_"Kei~ stop~."_

The blonde laughs,"Well go ahead."

Kuroo doesn't say anything for a few seconds and Kei is between hanging up or telling him to ask his question. There was no need for that though after Kuroo's voice came through the phone again, with an unexpected question.

_"Why'd you quit volleyball?"_

Ah yes, a question Kei didn't think he'd hear after graduating. Apparently he was wrong because here was Kuroo, asking him the dreaded question.

_"It wasn't because of what happened with Hina-"_

" **Tetsurou**."

Silence.

 

"I should go eat, mom will probably come up to get me."

_"R-right. Well cya around Kei, have a safe trip tomorrow!"_

"Good bye Tetsurou, recover properly."

Before Kei could hang up he hears the last breathy laughs of Kuroo, then the phone cutting off.

"Kei, foods getting cold!"

The said blonde throws his phone on the bed and properly hugs his knees. Somewhere between the conversation Kei sat on the floor knees propped up, one arm resting on them, the other holding the phone. Kei sighs, remembering Kuroo's question, then forgets about it when he hears his name again, and stifles a laugh.

"That makes thirteen."

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Gosh bare with me on this story it might be really long and a bit out of place. I'm kinda making it up as I go. 
> 
> Enjoy though!


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